A small volcano near the capital of the Philippines that attracts tourists for its picturesque setting in a lake erupted on Sunday with a massive plume of ash and steam, evacuating tens of thousands of people and forcing l Manila International Airport to close.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that the Taal volcano in Batangas province south of Manila threw steam, ash and stones up to 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) into the sky in a dramatic escalation of its increasing responsiveness, which began last year.
The volcanology institute raised the level of danger around Taal by three notches on Sunday at level 4, indicating that a dangerous eruption can occur in a few hours or days, said Renato Solidum, who heads the institute. volcanology. Level 5, the highest, means that a dangerous eruption is in progress and could affect a larger area.
He also warned that areas within nine miles of the volcano are at risk of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, but authorities rushed to evacuate more than 6,000 villagers from an island in the middle of a lake, where the volcano is located, and tens of thousands of Others from neighboring coastal towns, officials said. About 300,000 people are expected to be transferred to safe custody in Batangas overnight and over the next few days.
We have asked residents of high-risk areas, including the volcanic island, to evacuate now before a possible dangerous eruption, said Solidum.
Renelyn Bautista, a 38-year-old housewife who was among the thousands who fled the city of Laurel in Batangas province, said that she had taken a safe tour of her home with her two children, including a 4 month old baby, after Taal erupted and the ground trembled slightly.
We quickly evacuated when the air became muddy due to the falling ash and it started to smell of gunpowder, Bautista said by phone.
Fallen ashes covered the runways of Manila International Airport on Sunday evening. All international and domestic flights to and from the airport have been suspended due to volcanic ash near the airport and nearby air routes, said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Taal is located approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Manila.
Norwegian Tonny Roger, who flew to the Philippines to visit his wife, said he was not happy that his return flight to Norway was canceled, but he thought on the bright side . Well, I can see it more. I’ll find it now, he told the Associated Press at the airport.
Authorities have said they plan to divert flights to unaffected airports outside of Manila.
The Institute of Volcanology reminded the public that the small island where the volcano is located is a permanent danger zone, although fishing villages have existed there for years. He asked neighboring coastal communities to take precautionary measures and to be vigilant in the face of possible disturbances in the water of the lake linked to the ongoing troubles.
Significant to light ash falls have been reported in cities several kilometers (miles) from the volcano, and authorities have advised residents to stay indoors and wear masks and goggles for safety reasons . Motorists were hampered by poor visibility, made worse by the rainy weather.
Hotels, shopping malls and restaurants line a mountain road along a ridge overlooking the lake and the volcano in the town of Tagaytay, a key tourist area that could be affected by a major eruption.
Authorities recorded a swarm of earthquakes, some of which were felt with rumbles and slight inflation of 1,020-foot (311-meter) parts of the volcano before the steam explosion on Sunday, officials said.
Classes in a wide range of cities were suspended on Monday, including in Manila, to avoid the health risks posed by the fall of ash.
One of the world’s smallest volcanoes, Taal is one of two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines that lie along the so-called Pacific ring of fire, an earthquake-prone and earthquake-prone region volcanic eruptions.
Each year, around 20 typhoons and other major storms hit the Philippines, which lies between the Pacific and the South China Sea, making it one of the countries most prone to natural disasters in the world.
2020 by the Associated Press